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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · cap · nail · lean · dip · date · bulb · capital

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. cap — of ice
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. capital — a city
  9. cap — a lid
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ball — a dance
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bulb — for light
  16. capital — money
  17. cap — a hat
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — to bend
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lean — thin
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com